


A Song of Fire and Ice

by seanchaidh



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-18
Updated: 2013-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-25 22:05:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/643443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seanchaidh/pseuds/seanchaidh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"But it's our first Christmas together." Like a family, he wanted to add, but he knew he was in danger of getting maudlin. "I just want it to be nice."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Song of Fire and Ice

**Author's Note:**

> For the space_wrapped prompt, "Jim wants to go ice-skating. Bones falls through the ice." Thanks to canis_takahari for her encouragement throughout writing this (BOOOONESSS...) as well as her editing skills, and sternel for the encouragement as well. A (non-alcoholic) toast to twocats for her medical knowledge and advice went a great way to making sure this story didn't get out of hand. After all, I'm a historian, damn it, not a doctor. :)

If Bones laughed at him one more time, Jim would be tempted to punch him in the arm. The only problem was that it wouldn't do much for the Christmas spirit.

"Relax," Bones said on their way to the Kirk farm. "It'll be fine. No one's expecting perfection, just a nice few days together."

Jim found himself fretting anyway. "But it's our first Christmas together." Like a family, he wanted to add, but he knew he was in danger of getting maudlin. "I just want it to be nice."

"It will be," Bones promised. "Your mother's very generously invited us and Joanna over for a few days. So what should I be expecting, anyway? Other than cold."

"Snow, ice, and a lot of wind," Jim said. "I remember a few times Mom would drive us to the ship yards to look at the scaffolding. They looked like giant Christmas trees during the holidays. She'd pack us a few thermoses of hot chocolate so we could be warm while we ate cookies."

"That explains a lot," Bones teased.

"What?" Jim nudged his side. "Why I'm peculiar, is that what you mean? Thanks, man, thanks. Anyway, since your thin blood isn't going to keep you warm, there are lots of extra jackets lying around the place. We'll make sure you're bundled up."

"I'll be fine," Bones said, but this was the man who whined at temperatures that folks in Iowa still considered to be shorts-wearing weather.

"And don't worry about Joanna," Jim added. "Mom let it slip that she's bought Joanna a nice parka to make sure she stays warm."

An indulgent smile crossed Bones' features. "That's sweet of her."

"Oh, it's totally selfish of her," Jim confided. "She had two boys, only nephews, and now she's got two grandsons. She's more than thrilled that there's finally a girl in her life to spoil."

"She does know that Joanna's not exactly a frills and ribbons kind of girl?" Bones asked.

"I didn't tell you what Mom said when I told her about Joanna?" Jim asked, grinning. "She's glad to know you've got a very sensible girl on your hands."

"Smart woman," Bones said. "Too bad she went wrong with you."

~~~

Their shuttle arrived in Des Moines at 1700, a good twenty minutes before Joanna's was scheduled to get there. Jim decided to leave Bones with their bags in the waiting lounge, while he went to get their hovercar ready.

A quick glance outside promised a crisp, cold time.

"What's the temperature?" he asked as he signed the forms. The clerk wasn't reacting to his name, which was nice, so he decided for a conversational tone.

"Minus four," came the reply, which was enough to cause Jim to shiver in anticipation of the weather. The woman laughed in reply. "We make 'em cold out here."

"I grew up down the road from here," he said. "I think I've just gotten a little soft over the years."

She smiled at him in reply. "Make sure you dress in layers. Luckily it's a dry cold."

Saving that bit of wisdom for later, Jim returned to the lounge to find that their little bundle of pre-adolescent joy had arrived. Joanna's bag was discarded next to theirs, and she had her arms wrapped around her dad's neck as he held her close.

Jim stood back, watching the reunion for a few moments, and then cleared his throat. "Well, look who we've got here!"

"Hi, Jim," Joanna said, as she let go her dad. She's grown since the last time they'd seen her, and now she stood a few inches from the top of Bones' shoulder. A second later, she had her arms around him and Jim gave her a big hug.

She wasn't as... insulated as she should be. Jim put his hands on her shoulder, looking serious. "You're not dressed warmly enough."

"Sure I am," she said, giving him a look that was reminiscent of her father's stubborn moments.

"This might be nice and warm for Georgia's winters, but this is Iowa," Jim warned. "Do you at least have a hat and scarf?"

She pulled them out of her bag and held them out for inspection.

"Okay." Jim indulged himself with wrapping the scarf around her neck and then placing the hat until the edge met her eyebrows. "That should help."

"How cold is it, anyway?" Bones asked.

"Minus four."

The McCoys glanced at each other, thinly veiled looks of relief as Bones said in a cautious voice, "That's not too bad."

"Fahrenheit," Jim added, and he couldn't help the smile. "Iowa's probably one of the few places left that still uses it, even though we've got the Starfleet shipyards in our backyard."

"That's cold," Joanna declared, moving closer to her dad with a look that she was going to suggest they head back to the shuttle to go somewhere more temperate. Bones had a similar expression.

"Come on," Jim said, avoiding the temptation to roll his eyes at them as he reached to shoulder Joanna's bag. "It's not that bad."

They relented until they passed the threshold into the great outdoors. Joanna made a high-pitched noise of protest, while Bones huddled into himself and gave Jim a look that suggested it was his fault they were freezing.

Jim took pity on them. "If we jog to the hovercar, it shouldn't be too bad. I promise to turn up the heat."

It wasn't greatest incentive, but it worked.

~~~

They pulled in front of the Kirk homestead an hour later, and Jim honked the horn as they came to a halt. A few moments later, the front door opened and Jim recognized his mother's silhouette.

"Okay, run," Jim said.

Joanna yanked the door open with a quiet shriek and slammed it shut, before running up the walk to the porch and flinging herself into the warmth of the house. Jim leaned his forehead against the steering wheel and laughed himself sick.

"Oh god, Bones, she's a worse drama queen than you," he said.

"Shut up," Bones muttered, pulling on his gloves.

"You'll be fine," Jim said, as he got out of the car and headed for the trunk. He had most of their luggage out by the time Bones came to stand beside him, and dutifully loaded himself up like a pack mule before hurrying up the steps to safety.

Jim tried not to grin at the sight of Bones skidding once on the ice.

Inside, it was warm and smelled like cookies. Jim deposited everything by the stairs, and then indulged himself in a long hug from his mom. Winona felt a little smaller in his arms than he recalled, but otherwise, her grip was nice and tight.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Good to see you," she replied in his ear.

He held on for a few more moments, listening to the McCoys shedding their outer layers. Winona finally let go, and busied herself with directing everyone to their rooms. Joanna had the spare room at the end of the hall, while Bones was being condemned to Sam's old room. Jim, of course, had his childhood bedroom that hadn't changed since he left home at nineteen.

No, he took that back. He noticed that a lot of the old toys had been packed away, and Jim scowled at that as he set his bag down on the cleared desk. He sensed that if he spoke loudly, his voice would echo in the corners, and that didn't sit well with him.

He took out the presents he'd carefully snuck aboard the Enterprise and hidden so Bones wouldn't find them. He wanted them to be practical yet thoughtful, and now they were wrapped somewhat imperfectly with a lot of adhesive.

The presents in hands, he stopped by the Christmas tree in the living room and deposited the gifts below. He recognized his mom's handiwork already there, and grinned when he realized Joanna's present was twice the size of his and Bones'.

There was also an envelope sitting in the three, with Sam's scrawl recognizable on the paper. Jim touched the paper, and glanced at the mantle where a new holo sat. He went over to see it, and brought it over to the kitchen where he could hear Joanna's giggles.

"When did Sam send this?" Jim asked as he came in, holding the picture up as he sat down.

"Last month," she said, passing a cup of coffee his way.

"The boys are getting big," he said, studying the nice domestic picture being presented with Sam, Aurelan and their two boys. It was bordering on kitsch, but he wasn't going to say anything. "How old are they now?"

"May I see?" Joanna asked.

Winona leaned close and pointed out the faces. "That's Peter, he's five, and the younger one is Timothy, who'll be two in the new year."

"They're cute," she said.

"Of course they are," Jim said. "They're Kirks."

Joanna stuck out her tongue.

"I was thinking we could drive out to the shipyards tonight," Winona said as she set the holo aside. "We could go after dinner. We've got another Constitution class under construction, and she'll look gorgeous in the snow."

Jim grinned. "Only if there's hot chocolate."

"I've got extra," she promised, and then she nudged Joanna with a grin. "And tomorrow, Joanna's asked if she can learn how to skate."

"What's this?" Bones asked as he came into the room.

"If it's this cold, there ought to be a skating rink somewhere around here," Joanna said, with a hopeful look. "I'd really like to learn how to skate, Dad."

"There's the pond out back, and we've got a few extra pairs of skates lying around here," Winona said. "Jim and Sam grew out of theirs faster than a growing weed, we're guaranteed to have something that fits her. I can sharpen them up in a jiffy."

"A jiffy?" Bones sank into the other chair with a faint smile.

"That's Iowan for really damn fast," Jim said, and suddenly felt a foot collide with his shin. He rubbed it with a wince; surprisingly, it was from his mom. "Hey, what was that for?"

"Language," Winona chided.

"Don't worry," Joanna confided. "My dad says a lot worse."

"I also know what jiffy means," Bones said, giving Joanna a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to go skating?"

"Yes!" Joanna was grinning.

"Are you sure?" Bones asked.

"Absolutely," she said, and then she leaned forward. "You're just nervous because you don't know how to skate, either."

"Is that what you think?" Bones leaned back, arms crossed. "I've been skating before, thank you very much, young lady. The issue, I only like ice that's in my drink."

Jim snorted. "Better get drinking, then, because there's a lot of it outside."

~~~

It was a pretty decent holiday so far. Dinner wasn't too special, but it was warm and tasty. After dessert, they got Joanna and Bones bundled up again to head outside. The temperature had dropped more since the sun had gone down, and Jim could feel Bones shivering beneath his layers. Joanna, on the other hand, seemed to be slowly adjusting to the weather.

"What's this one called?" she asked as they found their spot with the best vantage point of the shipyards. She had the front seat next to Winona, while Jim and Bones were crammed into the back.

"That's the Constellation," Winona said, as she pointed out the work still needing to be done. "She'll be finished probably by late spring, and then they're start all over again with another one. The Enterprise's going to have a few more sisters to join her out there in space."

Joanna was asking questions about how a starship went from being on a planet to being launched into orbit, and Jim pressed his leg against Bones' and grinned.

"Your kid asks good questions," he whispered.

"I'd hope so," Bones replied, and snuck his hand into Jim's.

"What are you, fourteen?" Jim murmured.

Bones' eyes glinted in the dark. "Don't tempt me."

"Later," Jim said.

~~~

It was hours from dawn when Jim woke up in his bed, a little disoriented at why the floor was creaking. He turned his head to look at the door, and just about jumped out of bed when he saw Bones' familiar shape in the doorway.

"What are you trying to do?" Jim hissed, trying to keep his voice at a whisper. "You should've said something."

He couldn't see Bones' face in the dark. "I was just going to, sorry."

Jim sat up. "Is something wrong with your room?

"Other than a lack of you?" Bones had a way of forcing his way into bed, and Jim happily surrendered the space needed. Luckily, his bed wasn't much bigger than what they were used to at the Academy, so it wasn't much of a stretch. "I had a funny feeling you wouldn't exactly be waltzing into your big brother's room, you know?"

That was true. Sam's bed usually meant a childhood escape from thunderstorms and monsters under the bed. Jim winced at Bones' cold toes as they came into contact with his warm shins, and waited for Bones to get comfortable. "Glad you decided to come join me, then."

"I also figured Joanna wasn't likely to come wandering into your room," Bones said. "Then again, she's a little past the stage of wanting to sleep in the same bed. I hope."

"She's also smart enough to know to come in here if she wants something," Jim said, though having the ten-year-old possibly walk in was something of a turn-off. "I think that frightens me."

Bones' laugh was warm against his ear. "You'll survive. Joanna walked in on Jocelyn and me having sex once when we were making up after a fight."

"Oh, God." Jim winced. "That's got to be worse than your parents walking in."

"It isn't, believe it or not," Bones said. "I mean, your parents know right away what you're doing, you can't fake anything. At least with a two year old, you can talk your way around the issue without actually saying anything. They've got a short attention span, thank god."

Jim started nosing at Bones' throat, which made him laugh.

"Speaking of attention spans," Bones said, but he wasn't moving away. If anything, he was tugging up the hem of Jim's old t-shirt. "You promised me something earlier, and I admittedly kind of like this. Your mom's down the hall, and we're in your old bed."

"So were you good at keeping quiet?" Jim asked, an idea coming to him. He pried Bones' fingers from his shirt, and focused instead of getting rid of his pyjama bottoms.

Bones' eyes looked brown as they glinted in the moonlight. "Not great, but not half bad."

"Then take off your pants," he instructed, as he slipped out of bed to grab the lube he'd stashed in his bag, just in case. The floor was cold against his bare feet, and he dove back into bed, ignoring the creaks that could possibly give them away. "Bah, I forgot there are slippers in here somewhere."

"We'll find 'em later," Bones said, pulling him down for a kiss.

On a whim, Jim pulled the quilt over their head. It felt silly, but set the mood for what Jim wanted to do. He felt Bones grinning into the kiss, which started as fun and silly, and Jim punctuated it by tickling Bones' lower stomach.

"Bastard," Bones giggled, tugging on Jim's hair in retaliation.

"Ow," Jim protested, and nipped Bones' lower lip.

"Aren't we supposed to be keeping quiet?" Bones asked a moment later, as he rubbed his lip with a pout.

"Turn around," Jim said.

Bones grumbled something that sounded like he wasn't a dog, damn it, as he moved. The second he was in place, Jim spooned up against him and eased two lubed fingers into his body. He heard Bones begin to moan in response, so Jim reached around with his other hand to cover his mouth. He felt the shudder travel up and down Bones' body, and Jim grinned against his neck.

"You like that?" Jim whispered.

Bones nodded quickly, clasping Jim's hand with his own, and reached behind to grasp at Jim's shirt with the other.

"Okay." Jim manoeuvred the lube onto his cock, and then he was easing himself into Bones' body. It felt good going in, as Bones squeezed himself around him, and he had to muffle his own groan into Bones' neck. He shifted himself to bring a leg between Bones' thighs, and hooked a hand on his hip.

The bed was barely squeaking, which still made Jim wince as they moved, but it was too good to stop. Bones' breath was hot and humid against his hand, and Jim grasped him tightly as he focused on the motion and the feeling of Bones' body around him.

He heard the moans starting in Bones' throat, and he pressed his hand a little firmer to his mouth, then listened to the air rushing through his nose, at the gasps that were barely audible. Jim reached around to stroke Bones' cock, trying to push him over first before letting his own pleasure go. He found himself panting from the exertion, flush with Bones' body, as they kept on moving.

It really wasn't quiet, but the few moments of thought he could spare suggested that they were probably going to get away with it. Possibly. Jim found himself grinning, and he pressed his lips to Bones' ear, biting down on the lobe.

"This," he said, "is probably the best thing I have ever done in this bed."

He heard Bones snort in reply, and then Jim didn't hear much of anything because he was in the homestretch. It was just the rustling of the blankets around them and Bones' staggered breathing as he squeezed down on Jim's cock. Jim felt cocooned and wouldn't mind if he had to stay this way for the rest of his life, snug and warm with Bones.

Only after they came did he think about the sheets.

~~~

Jim reached for his coffee mug, and got an unexpected mouthful of grinds.

The taste of the cold bitterness on his tongue broke his concentration, and as he grimaced, he set down his book. He'd chosen it at random from his grandfather's collection in the dusty study, and taken the end of the sofa he'd used to occupy as a kid. This was a room where he'd spent countless hours, when he wasn't off exploring and running his caregivers ragged; he remembered winter nights when he and Sam used to curl up on opposite ends to read and eat cookies, careful not to get crumbs between the pages.

Nowadays, though, he took up the entire couch, and Sam was far-off in space.

He marked his spot with a random bookmark, and got up to go scout for another cup of coffee. He could hear the sound of Bones and Joanna talking in the kitchen, and he found them gathered at the kitchen island. They were facing bowls, spatulas, and a lot of flour, and Jim couldn't help the grin at the ingredients splattered across Bones' front. He cooked like it was an old-fashioned surgery, with the contents smeared across his chest.

Jim eyed the bowls as he passed by, and from the nondescript nature of the brown batter, he suspected they were cookies. He swiped a fingerful of dough to sample, considering the flavour as he headed for the coffee maker. Whatever it was, the batter was tasty.

"Jim!" That came from Bones, and the sharp whack with a wooden spoon on his ass definitely came from Joanna.

"Bones, your kid is abusive," Jim said, rubbing his ass for a moment before pouring his second cup of the day. He shot Joanna a look, slightly hurt and more than amused. She was giving him a more than passable version of her father's stare, complete with eyebrow.

"I think you'll live," Bones said, "though I don't know about the eggs."

"What, in the batter?" Jim grinned at him. "I've been eating raw dough all my life, and I came out perfectly healthy."

"No, but it might explain a lot," Bones muttered, turning his focus back to the dough.

Jim stuck out his tongue, and after sipping the coffee for a few moments, he went up next to Joanna. "So what exactly are you two making?"

"Snickerdoodles," she said, watching as her dad mixed the batter.

"Well, the dough tastes pretty good," Jim confided. "Did you make any of it?"

She nodded, explaining how she'd cracked the eggs and measured the ingredients. She glanced at Bones, and then gave Jim a conspiratorial grin as she handed up a dirty mixing spoon. "I still think it's gross."

"That's because you're a funny kid," Jim said, but he matched her smile as he made his way out of the kitchen with the spoon. He didn't quite feel like he'd been dismissed, but for a few moments, he began to wonder if she'd been referring to something else entirely. After a lick or two of batter, he decided he was probably over-thinking the situation; while he still wasn't entirely sure of the relationship he was supposed to be developing with Joanna, he was pretty confident she liked him and approved of the relationship Jim was having with her father.

Just as long as they, you know, didn't kiss in front of her.

Too bad there wasn't any mistletoe around the house, just the few Christmas decorations his mom had chosen to put out this year. Jim shrugged as he made his way down the hall back to the study, listening to the murmur of Bones and Joanna talking, and realized that for the first time in ages, the old house was beginning to feel like a home.

He heard the front door open with a gust of cold air preceding his mom's entrance back into the house. Jim came into the foyer, still wielding his spoon, to see what she'd been up to since disappearing after breakfast. He leaned against the doorway, shivering pleasantly, as Winona stomped her boots to shake off the loose snow and closed the door behind her. Her cheeks were red, and she grinned at him as she put down the set of skates she'd had Joanna try on earlier.

"It's not too bad outside," she said.

Jim couldn't help grinning at her enthusiasm. "As long as it's a dry cold, right?"

"Absolutely," she agreed. "As much as I love San Francisco, I could never get used to the humidity. Awful, awful weather when it's raining."

Her boots abandoned, she came over and stole his coffee mug in order to take a large sip.

"Hey," Jim said, but it was a half-hearted protest. "That's mine."

"Why, yes, you're a lovely son for sharing," she said, and then she sniffed the air. "What's that?"

"Bones and Joanna are making more cookies," Jim said, stealing his mug back.

A tender expression crossed her face for moment, and then she was wrapping her arms around him for hug. This time, Jim squawked at the cold seeping from her face and parka. He tried to squirm, but his mom held on tight with a laugh. "I'm so glad you're here, Jim."

"Right now, I'm having second thoughts," he said, but planted a kiss on her forehead to mitigate any sting.

Winona snorted, and moved back toward the table to take off her parka. This time, she looked mischievous. "So I thought I heard a noise in the middle of the night."

"Oh?" Jim hid his expression behind the mug, desperate for an air of nonchalance. "The house settling down, maybe?"

"I wasn't sure at first," she said, definitely enjoying the moment. "There was a strange squeaking sound coming from down the hallway."

Jim focused on sipping his drink. "Funny, I didn't hear a thing."

"I'm sure," she said, voice wry. "I imagine you were a little too occupied to notice. Anyway, I noticed that Leonard's walking carefully this morning."

"He's looking fine to me," Jim said.

"I'd expect he would," she said, and now she was grinning.

"Why can't you be one of those mothers who're too repressed to talk about sex?" Jim mumbled into his mug.

"Oh, is that what we're talking about?" Winona did innocent way too well, or would have if the twinkling in her eyes didn't give her away. She tugged on his arm to lead him back to the kitchen. "I'm just happy to see you with someone who suits you so well."

"I'm surprised you're not gushing how I've landed a doctor," Jim muttered.

Winona grinned at him. "What makes you think I haven't? Besides, I'm sure his mother is thrilled he's landed a gallant starship captain."

The memory of the first and last time he'd met Eleanora McCoy came to mind, and how she'd intimidated Jim before stuffing him full of food. Jim let himself laugh at little. "I don't know, it's hard to say sometimes. She feeds me until I'm rolling out the door, and then she's patting my head like I'm twelve. I'm never entirely sure when I'm being complimented and when I'm being insulted. She's like Bones, just subtle."

"Who's subtle?" Joanna asked as they came into the kitchen.

"Certainly not your dad," Jim told her, "and sometimes I wonder about you."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"I don't have time to be subtle," Bones said, as he put the cookies on the baking pans. "Certainly not when I'm dealing with the latest crisis you've managed to get yourself tangled up in."

"Oh, I can tell you stories," Winona said from the coffee pot.

Bones snorted. "I bet you can."

"Hey, no stories before cookies," Jim said, though he pulled out a stool and claimed a spot next to the island anyway.

"You can lick the bowl," Joanna promised, without looking at him. "I want stories."

"I love a woman who knows how to bribe," Jim said with a wink.

"God help me," Bones muttered.

~~~

They were just finishing lunch when Winona left the kitchen. Jim saw Bones looking at her with a quirked eyebrow, and then look his way with a questioning look. Shrugging, Jim got up and started clearing dishes to put in the recycler, and snagged a still warm cookie from the rack as he passed by.

"I still don't believe you drove a car off a cliff," Joanna announced from the table.

"Not one of my brighter moments," Jim agreed.

He ignored Bones' snort from the table.

Winona announced her presence by the sound of rustling as she stepped back, hiding something badly behind her back. Jim couldn't help the grin as he saw the expression on her face, an eager smile and bright blue eyes that reminded him of what it was like as a kid.

And Joanna's eyes were going wide as a large present was deposited directly in front of her.

"Is that for me?" she asked, a note of disbelief in her voice.

"It sure is," Winona said, still smiling from ear to ear. Jim began to wonder if that was what he looked like.

"But why?" Joanna's eyes were wide, looking hopeful but confused as she looked from Winona to Jim and then her father. "I mean, thank you, Mrs. Kirk, but I..."

Winona waved away the comment. "I know it's only Christmas Eve, but I thought you could get some use out of it today. Plus, I don't exactly have any girls to spoil in my life, so I hope you won't mind if I indulge a little?"

"Okay," she said, a little thrilled look on her face as she started undoing the paper. The pretence of being an adult disappeared, and she tore into the wrapping with a childish enthusiasm. She let out a happy noise as she uncovered the woollen coat and the matching hat and mittens. "It's so pretty! Look, Dad!"

"Put it on, sweetpea," Bones said.

Quickly pushing her chair back, Joanna pulled the jacket on. It was a creamy colour, with an embroidered design of blue and yellow snowflakes down by the hem. She twirled and grinned up at the adults.

"I love it," she declared.

Bones grinned as he reached for the hat and placed it on her head. "Why don't you go outside for a bit, before you overheat? You should see if it's warm enough."

"Sure!" Her cheeks growing red from the warmth, Joanna threw her arms around Winona's waist. "Thank you, Mrs. Kirk."

That was definitely a satisfied smile on her face as Winona returned the hug, a fond expression on her face. "You're more than welcome, Joanna, and if you're in the mood, you could ask Jim very nicely if he wouldn't mind taking you out to the pond to see if it's frozen enough. If it is, I bet you could get a skating lesson this afternoon."

Her arms still around Winona, Joanna turned her head to give Jim an appraising look that was reminiscent of Bones at his most curious. "Could we, Jim?"

Jim could never say no to a wide pair of hazel eyes. "Sure, I'll go get my coat."

"Make sure you dress up warm," Joanna said, all seriousness, before Winona tugged her out of the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am," Jim called after her, and a moment later, hr had Bones pressing him up against the counter. He snorted at the sudden nuzzle against his neck, and brought his hand up to tangle in Bones' hair. "Hey, you're distracting me. No fair."

"Not for too long," Bones said, and ran his lips up to press to Jim's. The kiss wasn't long, but it was warm and left Jim with a stupid look on his face. Bones wasn't looking much better. "I just want to say thanks."

"For what?" Jim slipped his hands under Bones' shirt to grasp the waistband of his pants. "I like spending time with your kid. It's the least I can do."

"She likes you," Bones said.

"I sure as hell hope so," Jim told him, and then tugged at Bones. "Why don't you come out skating with us?"

Bones shook his head. "No, I think I'll take advantage of the quiet to put the finishing touches on the presents."

That made Jim perk up. "Oh, is that so?"

"What are you, six?" Bones teased.

"There are moments," Jim said. "Since there's another child in the house, I won't ask if the biggest present is mine, but I should warn you that I know every single hiding place in this house."

A mischievous look crossed Bones' face. "Do you now?"

"It's me," Jim said. "Of course it is."

"That's not what your mother said," Bones told him.

"What?" Jim pulled away, frowning. "No, she didn't?" And when Bones nodded, Jim scowled. "Well, I guess I know what I'm doing tonight."

Bones pushed at him with a snort. "Shouldn't that be 'who'? And if you've just decided that, you're getting slow. The fresh air will do you good."

"Sure you won't come?" Jim hazarded a second offer.

"It's been years since I skated, and I wasn't good even back then," Bones said. "You'll have your hands full with Joanna, but maybe you could convince me outside later."

"Sure." That sounded like a good option, especially since Joanna would undoubtedly want to show off what she'd learned, and Jim wouldn't mind the moment as the proud teacher. Leaning in for one last kiss, Jim made a satisfied moan. "Just so you know, I'll need warming up later, too."

"Jim!" The shout came from the front door. "You better not be kissing my dad right now! I'm getting warm."

"Then go stand on the porch!" Jim yelled back, and after claiming one last peck, he hurried up the stairs to his room to pull his old winter coat from the closet. It was plaid, kind of ugly, but it was the warmest thing he owned. He found an old knitted hat that he pulled over his head, just for the principle of keeping his ears warm from the wind.

"Don't you have anything better than that?" his mom asked when he got into the front hall at long last.

"Nope," Jim said, and pressed a kiss to her cheek before heading out the door.

The weather was warmer than the day before, but it was still bitterly cold. Jim shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked down the steps to where Joanna had wobbled down the steps in her skates; the guards were on, but the weight of her body was pressing the thin surface into the snow. Each step made a satisfying crunch, and she was experimenting with the noise.

She looked up at Jim's approach. "I want it to squeak. I heard that snow can squeak."

"That would be the freshly fallen snow," Jim told her. "Maybe we'll get some more snow while we're here. It's Iowa, that's entirely possible."

"I hope so," she said, and put her mittened hand in his as they started walking. "It's snowed once or twice at home, but it lasted just for an hour before turning to muck."

"I'm surprised that you guys got even that much," Jim said.

She shrugged as they made their way to the old pond at the back of the barn. It was another site that Jim remembered fondly from his childhood, when he and Sam would clear off the snow and try to make a hockey rink. He remembered once hitting the puck and accidentally getting Sam in the mouth, and the resulting gap between his front teeth until it was fixed in a visit to the emergency room. The ice wasn't going to be smooth, but it was decent.

"Wait here," Jim said, and he stepped on the ice to test it. He wasn't about to check the middle, but the edges were more than solid. He made the round, and once satisfied, he made his way back to Joanna, who was looking sceptical. "Okay, you ready?"

She gave a nod. "What do I do first?"

"Hang onto me, and we'll take the guards off your blades."

Joanna gripped tightly onto his arm, as Jim bent over to uncover the sharp metal. He tossed them aside, and then guided her gently onto the ice. She slipped, started to fall, and then caught herself on Jim. She righted herself before Jim could act, which was a point in favour of her flexibility, and then gave Jim a doubtful look.

"I don't know," she began.

"It's kind of awkward at first," Jim admitted. "I don't really remember learning how to skate, but I'm sure I fell lots of times before I got the hang of it. You've got two advantages in your favour right now. You're not a four year old, so you're going to catch on really quickly."

"And what's the other one?" she asked.

"You've got me for a teacher," Jim said, and made sure to smile the way he would when Bones would launch in his rants about flying back at the Academy. "Heck, I got your dad comfortable with being in a shuttlecraft, right? That should say something about how good I am."

Joanna scoffed. "Dad said Hikaru taught him how to fly."

"And who do you think got him there in the first place?" Jim shrugged, and then focused on the task at hand. "Okay, that said, you ready to learn the most important thing?"

"Sure." She gave a sigh worthy of her father. "What's that?"

"How to fall," Jim said, and grinned. "And more importantly, how to get back up."

"That would be useful," she muttered.

She was a quick student, and soon enough, Jim had her making tentative glides across the ice. Her movements were uncertain at first, but as she got used to the motion, she began to gain confidence and speed. Before long, she was skating around him with a laugh, her hazel eyes bright in the pale afternoon sun.

"That's looking awesome!" Jim told her, especially when she went over a bump in the ice and caught her balance before falling. He clapped his hands together, and then stuck them in his pockets when he realized his fingers were getting cold, but he wasn't ready to go in yet.

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked as she came to a halt in front of him, a small shower of ice falling ahead of her.

"Sure thing." Jim smiled at her encouragingly.

"Did you worry about your mom when she was in space?" Joanna asked.

Despite himself, the question caught Jim off guard, though he wasn't sure what he was expecting from her. He tilted his head at her, considering what he should share, and found himself backpedalling for a moment. "Well, I guess, yeah. Are you worried about your dad?"

"Sometimes," Joanna said, her voice soft.

"How often is sometimes?" Jim pressed, keeping the same volume. "And have you talked to your mom or dad about this?"

"Mom would make me talk to a counsellor again, and I don't want that," Joanna said. "And Dad... he tries hard to be a good dad. I know he feels guilty about being away, and I don't want to make him worry more about me, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Jim said. Bones didn't always share his anxieties about parenthood, but he'd revealed a few of his worries over the time they'd known each other. He smiled at her. "I think that's a very nice thing you're doing, thinking about your dad like that, but you know, I'd suggest you maybe talk with him. This is the kind of thing I think he'd like to know about, you know? It makes him feel like a better dad."

She turned her attention to the pattern her skate was making in the ice. "Do you think so?"

"Very much." Jim shrugged for a moment. "I didn't talk to my mom about missing her, and she was the only parent I had. Sometimes when your dad's talking to you or sending you a message, I really admire him for the efforts he's making. It isn't easy what he's doing, but from what I can tell, he's really trying to make an effort to be there for you. I sometimes wish my mom had been more like your dad."

Joanna contemplated that for a few moments. "Why do you think your mom was that way?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jim said, and it was his turn to contemplate the sky. He bit his lip for a moment. "I don't think it matters now, but she was still very sad after my dad died when I was a baby. I didn't get along with her especially well when I was a teenager, and it's only recently that we've gotten close again. I joined Starfleet to get away from here, and ended up finding a new way to bond with my own mother."

"But you still worried about her?" Joanna asked.

"Yeah." Jim shrugged, and then he had insight into what she was asking. "But you know, once she brought a few of her Starfleet friends over for me and my brother to meet, and that included the captain of her ship. Mom wasn't signed up for a five year mission, but she'd go out on short-term scientific missions about once a year, and it was always with the same crew. Robert April was her captain, and he made an effort to get to know me and Sam. He was a nice guy, you know, and he made sure I knew that he'd do everything in his power to keep my mom and the rest of his crew safe."

She smiled. "I bet he didn't teach you how to skate."

"Nope, but he did teach me how to fish," Jim said. "Not that we have any fish in this pond, but he sat me and my brother down and showed us how to cast a proper line."

Joanna suddenly skated away, and tried to do a twirl. It was more of a tipsy circle, but she remained upright. She frowned as she moved, and then kept talking. "I know it's not safe out there."

"No, it's not," Jim said, and thought about how he'd known about the Kelvin disaster his entire life. What had happened with the Narada was in the same calibre, especially from a kid's perspective. "You know, we've got that in common, Joanna. We both know how dangerous it can be out there, and I knew that Captain April was just a man, but he'd promised he'd do what he could to keep my mom safe. That's the best he could do."

She didn't reply, and just twirled again.

Jim listened to the sound of her skates on the ice, at the rasp they made, and tried to find the best words to convey what he wanted. "I can't keep your dad perfectly safe, Joanna, but I can promise you something that Captain April couldn't give me. Your dad means a lot to me, and it's in my interest, too, to keep him safe. Between you and me, that'll be why I'm going to be extra cautious with him, okay? Because he's important to the both of us."

She came to halt in front of him, and the smile she offered him was hesitant. "Okay, Jim."

"Okay." Jim suddenly shivered, and he inclined his head back at the house. "Want to go back in? I make a pretty good hot chocolate, and I think after today, you deserve one. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to warm up."

"That's because you forgot gloves," Joanna said, but then she was grasping his hand in hers and squeezing tightly. "And thanks."

For a moment, Jim wasn't sure what she was thanking him for, and then he decided after a few moments, it didn't matter. If he blinked back moisture, he was going to blame it on the cold.

~~~

Bones had joked earlier about needing convincing to go outside, but it ended up being a case of twisting his rubber arm. Once dinner was done and the dishes put away, Jim found Bones with an armful of winter clothing and a pair of skates dangling from his hand.

"Well?" Bones looked at both Joanna and Jim with an expectant expression. "I'm ready. What are you two waiting for?"

Joanna grinned before taking off to find her discarded clothes, while Jim snorted. "Where did you get the coat?"

"Your mom," Bones said, and set down the skates so he could get dressed. There was an extra sweater first, and then a classic military-style wool coat that Jim didn't remember seeing before. It fit Bones perfectly, and the dark blue suited him. Jim felt himself drawn over to help with the brass-plated buttons. "She didn't think anything you or your brother had would fit the extra sweaters I want to wear."

"I like it," Jim said, adjusting the collar to provide the best warmth possible around Bones' neck, and then reached for the scarf. "Maybe we should sneak it back on the Enterprise, just because."

Bones tolerated the fabric being wrapped around his neck, but balked at the hat. "Let me do that. Go get dressed."

"Fine."

Jim swatted his cushioned ass before going upstairs to get his own skates, and made it downstairs just in time to find Bones helping Joanna with her skates. He couldn't help the laugh that he barely covered when he realized just how round Bones was with all his layers, and if anything, it made him all the more endearing.

The temperature had dropped since the sun went down, and Jim grinned at the way Joanna laughed at the sound of the snow under their feet. He wasn't sure if Bones was smiling, since the scarf covered the lower half of his face, but he was pretty sure from the way his eyes were crinkling at the corners, that there was some level of amusement going on. Jim let Joanna lead the way to the pond, and nudged Bones with his shoulder.

"So how long has it been since you last skated, anyway?" he asked.

Bones shrugged, and his voice was definitely muffled by the wool. "Maybe ten years? Joanna wasn't born yet, so maybe more like twelve. I wasn't good, but I could keep my balance once I got started."

"Well, just to warn you, the ice is going to be bumpy," Jim said. "I don't exactly have a Zamboni in the barn."

"A what?" Bones' eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"That thing that keeps the ice smooth? You need a machine to do it. It's been that way since before the Eugenics War," Jim said. "You should see the one they've got at the curling arena in Riverside. It was probably an antique when Zephram Cochrane met the Vulcans."

"Forget I asked," Bones muttered, but with a fond tone. "I also hate to say this, but once you ignore the cold, it's kind of nice out here."

"Isn't it?" Jim grinned, and grasped Bones' elbow with a gloved hand. "I'm glad you're here, you know."

There was an impatient sigh ahead of them, as Joanna waited at the edge of the pond. "If you two kiss out here, your lips are going to freeze together, and I'll just stand here and laugh at you."

"No, that only happens if you kiss a flagpole," Jim said.

Joanna's expression looked like her father's. "What?"

"Never lick metal when it's below freezing," Jim told her. "Consider it the voice of experience, okay? Now, want to show your dad what you learned earlier today?"

With an eager nod, she leaned against Jim for a moment to get rid of her guards, and then tottered onto the ice. She flashed them a grin before making her start. Jim clapped his gloves together in encouragement, and Bones even pulled down his scarf so his voice could carry on the cold air. She only tripped once, and even as Bones was darting forward to get her, she was back on her feet and dusting off her knees with a sheepish grin.

"I'm fine," she said as Bones reached the edge of the ice.

Bones hesitated. "You sure?"

She waved away the concern, but then seemed to reconsider. "Come skate with me, Dad."

Jim couldn't help the moment of anxiety as Bones stepped on and immediately lost his balance. He moved forward on his skates, propelled by the flailing of his arms, and then he was on his ass with a loud curse. Both Joanna and Jim froze, before Bones let out a huff of a laugh.

"Well, that didn't start off well," he said.

Joanna edge closer and held out her hand. "Need a hand up?"

"Let me help," Jim said, moving into position and grabbing Bones' other hand, anchoring his skates so together, they could hoist Bones back up.

They spent the next half an hour just skating around, as Joanna gained confidence on her blades and Bones' legs stopped wobbling. Jim circled between the two, keeping an eye on them both, but as the time passed, he was relaxing.

Joanna grabbed his arm suddenly, with a wide grin. "Let's play tag."

"Does that make me it?" Jim demanded, as she darted away. "Because that's not really fair, you know. Whoever makes the suggestion should be it first."

"Nope!" she laughed. "My rules."

"And your pond," Bones added, as he started moving backward.

"Oh, fine." Jim feigned a huff, and then took after Joanna. She let out a childish squeal as she hurried away, and that just made Jim decide to ham it up as he gained on her. He let out a wicked laugh as he caught her, wrapping his arms around her, and swung her around for a moment. "Gotcha, kiddo!"

They played that way for a few more minutes, chasing after each other until Jim was feeling breathless and energized. He was it again, and he had his sights on Bones. The goal was to tackle him into a snowbank, and possibly shove some snow down his collar just for general purposes. He had the feeling he'd get a knee to the groin for his efforts, but Jim found he just didn't care.

The problem was, Bones knew something was up. Maybe it was the toothy grin, just slightly predatory, as Jim turned his focus on him. Bones' eyes widened, and then he was off like a shot.

"You can do it, Dad!" Joanna shouted, as she moved to the edge of the pond. "Keep ahead of him!"

It was a good race, and Jim was just inches from snagging the hem of Bones' parka when his prey suddenly veered off toward the middle of the pond. Jim cursed, circling for a moment and preparing his next move when there was suddenly a crack that cut through the cold night air.

"What was that?" Joanna asked.

The ice was breaking. Jim spotted Bones at the centre of the oond, still moving even as he glanced down at his feet with an uncertain look. The air was frigid against Jim's throat and lungs as he inhaled to shout to tell Bones to get the hell back to the edge when the ice gave way beneath Bones' feet and down he went.

It happened almost in slow motion, and Jim froze for a second, breaking to a halt as he watched. He heard Bones shout, watched him grasping the edge, and Joanna screamed.

That snapped him out of it.

"Bones, hold on!" Jim shouted, and looked around for something he could use to help pull him from the ice. There wasn't anything, so he turned to face Joanna, whose face had gone pale. "Joanna, listen to me, okay? I need you to go back into the house. Get my mom. We need a flashlight, and rope. Okay?"

"Flashlight and rope," she repeated, breathless, but not moving.

Jim forced himself to sound reassuring. "Go on, I'm staying with your dad, but we need that flashlight and rope. Go on, go!"

She finally nodded, and then started running back toward the house, without her guards. Jim almost called her back, and instead, turned his attention back to Bones. "Bones, how're you doing?"

"Get me out of here!" Bones demanded, but his hands kept slipping. He sounded like his teeth were chattering already, and that wasn't a good sign.

"I can't, not yet," Jim said. "If I get closer, the ice will break under me, too, and it'll be the two of us in the water."

Bones didn't reply, just splashing as he grasped for a better hold on the broken edge.

"Can you touch the bottom with your skate?" Jim asked. "Just see if you can touch it, okay, Bones? I know there's a part that's shallow enough. Can you touch it?"

The water sloshed over the edge of the ice, and Bones finally replied with a shaking voice. "No, it's too deep. I can't. Jim, fuck, I have to get out of here."

"I know." For a lack of anything better, Jim edged forward and undid his own scarf before trying to toss it toward the hole. It went wide by almost a foot, well outside the grasp of Bones' fumbling hands. "Okay, let me try that again."

He inched out again, making sure his weight was spread out, and just ahead, he could see the cracks in the ice. Jim swallowed hard, and tried throwing the scarf again. This time, a sudden gust of wind caught it and blew it in the opposite direction. Bones flailed for it anyway, and lost his grasp on the ice. He went under.

"Bones!" Jim shouted, never feeling so helpless before in his life. "Come on, Bones!"

He re-emerged a few moments later, sputtering and having lost his hat. Jim knew that was definitely a bad sign, and although he couldn't really tell in the moonlight, he was willing to bet that his lips were turning blue.

"There, hold on to the ice," Jim said, trying to coach him through it. "I know it's getting hard, but you've got to try."

"Where... did Joanna go?" Bones asked, closing his eyes.

"She's okay," Jim said. "I sent her to get my mom. She's clear of the ice, don't worry about her. Just worry about hanging on until Mom gets here, okay?"

Barely a minute had probably gone by, but it felt like an hour. Jim tried wracking his brain for other options. There might be something in the barn, but he wasn't sure. He hadn't been there in years, and he didn't really want to leave Bones alone as the heat leeched from his body into the water. He also didn't dare go any closer, although he wished he could just stretch out his arm and pull him out.

"Jim..." Bones' voice sounded distorted from the chattering of his teeth, and he slipped back an inch.

"I'm here," Jim said. "Just like you've been there for me when there's an emergency, right? You'll be out of here in a second, okay? I'm not going to let you ruin Christmas, Bones, you got that?"

"Fuck you," Bones muttered, and from what he was doing, it looked like he was trying to wiggle up on the ice. His words were beginning to slur. "Oh, god, this hurts."

"I know." Jim kept his voice low. "But just hang on. Keep shivering, too, it's good for you."

"I know what the symptoms of hypothermia are!" The words were mostly clear, but the outburst seemed to have drained the energy out of him. "Jim... your present..."

Dimly, Jim heard the sound of the backdoor slamming shut, and the sound of footsteps in the snow. "Shut up, okay? Mom's on her way."

"I hid it..." Bones' grasp began to slip again.

"Mom!" Jim didn't turn his head to see her approaching, and just focused his entire attention on Bones. "Listen to me, Bones, if you tell me where you hid that present, I'm going to strangle you the second after I get you warmed up. Understood? Don't spoil the one thing I've got left."

A sudden beam of light suddenly flashed out and illuminated their scene. Jim saw Bones try to shield squinted eyes, and yeah, those were definitely blue lips that were grimacing in pain. He felt the ice move, which alarmed him, as Winona crawled out to join him.

"I've got Joanna in the house," she said, as she arrived. She sounded calm, which eased Jim's anxieties somewhat. "Leonard, how are you doing?"

"I'm cold," came the chattered reply.

"I'm sure you are," she said. "Just hang on a few more moments, okay?"

"Did you bring the rope?" Jim asked.

"Right here," she said, holding it up. "Look, this is what we're going to do. I'm going to move closer to the hole because I weigh a lot less than you, Jim. I'm going to get the rope to Leonard, and hopefully he's going to be able to grasp it. Then, you're pulling the two of us out. Clear?"

The no-nonsense tone made Jim smile despite the urgency of the situation. "Yeah."

"Leonard, honey, did you hear that?" Winona asked, waiting for a reply.

"I don't know if I can grasp anything," Bones said, and it was obvious he was trying to enunciate around his shivers. "I'm shaking like a leaf."

"That's okay," she said, as she quickly worked with the rope. "I'm making a loop so you can hold onto it a little better, all right?"

This time, she didn't wait for him to answer. Rope in hand, she started inching forward, and when her ankle passed by, Jim grabbed at her pant leg and held on. It was hard to tell from this angle, but he could see that she was a few feet from Bones when she finally had to stop. Bones' eyes were wide and fixed on Winona's approach, and he was visibly shuddering with his face resting against his hand; the water came up to his shoulders, looking black in the light.

"I'm throwing the rope now," Winona said, with an aura of command. "On the count of three."

Jim whispered the numbers under his breath, and watched as Winona tossed the rope. The rope landed an inch or two from Bones, and he made a valiant attempt to grasp it. His movements were shaking and sluggish, and for a moment it looked like he had it. When Winona tugged it, though, the rope came free and, caught by surprise, Bones slid further into the water with a cry.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Winona said, and without a warning, she scooted herself forward and grasped the fabric of Bones' left sleeve. The front of her parka was soaking up the water that had splashed over onto the ice, but she was holding on tightly. "Jim, pull me back now!"

"I am!" he grunted, as he started hauling the two of them as best he could out of the hole. His mom's leg wasn't exactly the best thing to pull, and his shoulders were burning with the effort.

Too slowly, it seemed, he was making progress. He got up on his knees and dragged them backward, but even with Bones struggling to get his lower body free from the water, their combined weight plus the water soaking Bones' clothing made the effort even harder. The cold was seeping into Jim's legs, but he forced himself to forget about his own discomfort as he focused on what he was doing. Soon he had his hands grasping Winona's parka, and from there, it wasn't long before he had a grip on Bones' other arm.

Together, they slid back toward the safety of the thicker ice, and as Jim paused to catch his breath, he got a good look at Bones. He looked like a drowned sailor from an earlier era, and shudders wracked him from head to foot as he struggled up to his knees.

"Can... we go inside... now?" Bones asked, teeth still chattering.

Cursing the fact he was still wearing skates, Jim did his best to pull Bones upright, and counted himself lucky that Winona was on the other side of him. It was a painfully awkward walk back to the house, and he heard Winona say something to forget about damaging the steps as they made it to the backdoor.

Joanna was hovering at the doorway, her eyes huge and worried as she stared at them. She held up a comm. "I called Christine."

It took a moment to realize that she meant Christine Chapel, and Jim nodded as he leaned Bones against the inner doorway. Winona was down at his feet, getting the skates off both of their feet before they progressed into the house, and it wasn't going fast enough.

"Good thinking," Jim said. "And what did she say?"

"She said that if he could walk on his own, we just needed to get him warm," she said, a quiet strength in her words despite the quivering of her lower lip. "I made hot drinks, and I programmed the bathtub to have water at the right temperature. She's waiting for me to call back."

"Good thinking, sweetpea," Bones said, and somehow he sounded calm despite the way he was dripping onto the carpet as he shivered.

"You okay?" she asked, a little hitch in her voice.

"Soon enough," Bones told her. "You can call Christine and tell her Merry Christmas for me, okay?"

Their progress up the stairs and into the bathroom was slow, since Bones couldn't handle the steps quickly. Jim was starting to shiver, too, by the time they finally got it, and he shut the door with a nudge of his hip before trying to figure out how to progress. He finally opted on leaning Bones against the wall, and starting to unbutton the parka for starters.

"I can do it," Bones said, but his fingers were apparently sausages. He managed to unfasten one in the time it took Jim to deal with the rest, and soon the wet wool was at their feet. Bones made a face. "That smells."

"Yeah, well, real wool will do that," Jim said, aware that his own parka was probably going to start smelling at any moment. He paused to shed his own outer layer, and kicked it away.

"Smells like an old dog," Bones mumbled.

"Whoever smelt it, dealt it," Jim said softly, and moved away long enough to get the old thermometer from the cabinet. All he had to do was press it against Bones' forehead to get a reading, so he pushed away the wet bangs to get access. A few seconds later, he had a number, and he frowned. "It says your temperature is ninety-five."

"That's good," Bones said. "Not hypothermia. I'm just really fucking cold."

Jim snorted at the declaration as he focused on getting rid of the rest of Bones' clothing. He tried not to think about how close this could've come to disaster, and as he pulled off Bones' last shirt, he leaned in to press a kiss to the cold skin over Bones' heart.

It was easier to get Bones into the bathtub than the stairs, but Jim was still being careful. The bathtub was an old-fashioned one, centuries old with funny feet that used to make Jim laugh when he was a kid. Sam would tell stories that it would animate at night and walk around. Now, Jim realized it was a little too short for Bones' long legs, and as he sank into the water with a deep groan, his feet were over the end. He looked like a drunk who'd fallen asleep splayed out awkwardly in the tub.

"Comfortable?" Jim asked, perching himself on the edge.

Bones made a happy sound, and then opened his eyes to look at him. "Finally. I'm a doctor, not a popsicle."

"Especially since you'd be pond flavoured, and that's really not tasty," Jim said, as he played with the strands of Bones' hair.

"Sounds wonderful," Bones said, dryly, and he brought up one dripping hand to rest on Jim's thigh. "You should get into something warmer, too. You're wet."

"I'd say something about the pot meeting kettle, but that makes me realize that we don't have a second bathtub," Jim said. "You okay on your own for a second?"

Bones brought up his hand to dismiss him, but then there was a knock on the door. It opened slightly as Winona stuck in her head. "How are you boys doing?"

"Mom!" Jim sat up and immediately drew the curtain to shield Bones from her line of sight, as Bones splashed in surprise. "What the hell, Mom?"

"Don't worry, I'm not looking at him," Winona said, though there was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She held a pile of clothes and shoved them at Jim. "This is for you to get changed, plus dry clothes for Leonard after he's turned into a prune."

"Thanks, ma'am," Bones said.

Jim accepted them with a smile. "Yeah, thanks, Mom."

She reached down to collect some of the wet clothes scattered on the floor. "Joanna wants to know when she can bring up your drinks."

"How is she doing?" Bones asked.

"Still shaken," Winona said. "I think talking with Christine is helping her, but she needs to see you're doing all right, Leonard."

"Tell her we're out soon," Jim said, and he didn't need to see Bones' face to know the expression on his face. He leaned in to give Winona a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom, for everything."

"We'll be waiting with the drinks," Winona said with a knowing look.

As the door shut behind her, Jim set down the dry clothes on the closed toilet, and quickly stripped out of his own wet outfit. He just dumped them on top of Bones outfit, and on a whim, he pulled back the curtain to see a drowsy-looking Bones regarding him with a sorrowful expression.

"Move forward for a second," Jim said, as he stepped behind Bones and slipped down into the bathtub. There was barely any room, but Jim wanted the moment together. Somehow, they managed, and Jim let out a sigh as Bones leaned back against him, their legs almost tangled. The water wasn't feeling as warm as Jim wanted, so he ordered the temperature to go up a few degrees.

"Oh," Bones said, appreciating the new heat, and stretched a little bit with his head on Jim's shoulder. "I'm surprised we fit."

"Me, too." Jim pressed his lips to the spot just behind Bones' ear, and realized that Bones definitely did smell like the pond water. He felt himself shudder for a moment, and as he watched his fingers tracing patterns on the damp skin on Bones' chest, he wasn't sure who he was meant to be soothing. "We won't stay for long."

Bones shrugged a little, eyes closed. "That was close."

"Doesn't matter," Jim murmured.

"Sure it doesn't," Bones said, threading his fingers with Jim's. "I just had my daughter see me almost drown on Christmas Eve. I know what she's like, she's like me. She'll never want to go skating again."

Jim allowed himself a smile. "I'll take care of that. Don't worry."

"What do you mean, don't worry?" Bones turned his head to look up at him, his eyes a wary hazel.

"Just what I said," Jim told him. "We'll take care of her, all right? I promise it'll be fine."

Bones looked at him for a long moment.

"Scout's honour," Jim added.

"You told me you got kicked out," Bones said, leaning back, but his expression looked more relaxed.

"Technicality," Jim said. "Now, before we both turn into prunes, we're going to wash your hair. You smell like the creature from the black lagoon."

~~~

Even after the bath, Bones complained about being cold, and he was visibly worn out from the strain. They ended up in the living room, after Jim helped Bones negotiate the stairs without tripping. Something warm tugged in Jim's chest when he found that Winona had pulled out the old sofa-bed that he vaguely remembered being used years ago, and she'd dumped a few of the extra blankets on top.

Joanna was waiting, arms crossed and anxious for them to arrive. She barely gave her father enough time to get cocooned before she was sitting next to him with his arm around her shoulders.

"Your tea got cold," she said, trying to scowl and not quite succeeding.

Bones looked apologetic as he pulled Joanna closer. "Sorry, sweetpea. What did you make for me?"

"Mint tea with honey." Joanna looked up at him. "Christine told me what to make, and she said you need to drink something sweet. Don't worry, though, Mrs. Kirk is making more. She's bringing cookies, too."

"I can't wait," Bones said, though he was fighting a yawn.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Joanna asked, and though she wasn't saying the words, it was pretty clear she'd been scared.

"I'll be fine," Bones said, his cheek resting on the top of her head. "It'll just take a while for my body to readjust to its normal temperature."

"Dad?" Joanna waited for a moment. "Is it okay if I don't go skating again?"

At her words, Jim suddenly looked at Bones and wondered whether he should be in the room. He met Bones' tired gaze over Joanna's head, and knew that he was thinking about their conversation in the bathtub. In the warm water, it had felt right to say he'd help out if Joanna expressed a worry about the skating, but now that it was clearly a moment between father and daughter, Jim wasn't so sure. He remained by the Christmas tree, adjusting the ornaments and feeling out of place.

"Why wouldn't you want to go skating again?" Bones asked quietly, his attention back on Joanna.

She shrugged. "I'd rather stay inside where it's warm."

"Are you sure?" Bones waited a few moments before continuing. "I was watching you tonight, and you were having fun. This wouldn't be because I fell through the ice, would it?"

"That scared me," she said in a small voice.

"It scared me, too," Bones said, "but you know what? I was having fun before that happened, and we're going to be here for a few more days. Maybe if you ask Jim, we could find a place where we could skate and it won't be a pond. I bet there might be a skating rink somewhere around here."

Jim took that as his cue to slip out of the room to the kitchen. Winona looked up from where she was arranging the cookies on a plate.

"How's Leonard?" she asked.

"He'll be okay," Jim said, knowing he sounded distracted, but he was on a mission. He reached for the home commline, and did a search for skating rinks. A moment later, he felt his mom at his shoulder and when he glanced at her, she was smiling warmly as she read the contents of the screen. "What?"

"There's the skating rink in downtown Riverside," she said. "I used to drag you there while Sam was playing hockey, you remember?"

"Is that still there?" Jim asked.

Winona nodded, as she reached past him to call up the opening hours. "Look at that, it'll be open the day after Christmas."

"Mind if I borrow the car?" Jim wrote down the information and stuck it in his pocket.

"Only if I can go skating with you," she said.

At that, Jim pressed a kiss to her cheek, and then he stole the tray to bring it into the living room. Bones and Joanna were still sitting together, though Bones was looking even more sleepy as he listened to what Joanna was saying. Jim caught his gaze and winked.

"So it's a family tradition to sit around and watch bad Christmas movies while eating cookies," Jim told them both as he handed over mugs of tea. Joanna sat up to accept hers, watching him carefully. Jim smiled at her as he put the second mug into Bones' hands. "Drink up, Bones, or else all of your presents will magically transform into coal."

Bones snorted. "I'm sure they will."

"You have to feel better for tomorrow," Joanna chided.

"And you know what would help with that?" Jim reached for the tray and held out the plate. "Cookies will definitely make things better."

"If only cookies could work for everything," Joanna added, as she helped herself to three.

To his credit, Bones just rolled his eyes, but really, he was too busy finishing off a snickerdoodle to get a word in edgewise.

~~~

Sometime close to midnight, Jim realized he was the only one awake.

Winona had wandered off a few hours earlier, claiming she had last minute wrapping to finish. She'd stopped long enough to deposit a kiss on Jim's head, as well as Joanna's. Bones, lying behind them with his back to the room, was simply too far to reach.

The remote lay next to Joanna, where it had dropped when she'd fallen asleep. She was stretched out like a cat, leaning against her father like he were the back of a chair. Jim reached across the sofa bed to reach for the device, and the movement woke her up. She stirred and rubbed her eyes, looking at him.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"Almost Christmas," he said, as he turned off the vid screen. The clay versions of reindeer and snowmen disappeared a second later. "It's bedtime, anyway."

"I was watching that," Joanna said, a little petulantly.

"With your eyes closed?" Jim couldn't help the smile. "Nice try, kiddo."

She scowled at him for a moment, but another yawn ruined the moment. She looked reluctant as she stretched, sitting up. "Are you going to move my dad upstairs?"

That was a good question, and he was pretty sure the answer was no. Bones hadn't budged since he'd fallen asleep, and he wasn't even letting out the occasional snore. That was all Jim had to know about his physical state, and frankly, he wasn't in the mood to lug him back up the stairs.

"I think we can leave him down here," Jim said, keeping his voice low, just in case.

Joanna paused, glancing at the Christmas tree at the corner of the room, and then she looked back at him. "I want to stay down here with him."

"Sure." Jim gathered up the mugs and cookie plates with the intention of depositing them in the kitchen. "I was going to stay down here, too, but there's room enough for three."

That seemed to satisfy her, and she hurried out of the room. He could hear her footsteps up the stairs, and then there was the sound of water running in the bathroom. Jim concentrated on getting himself ready for bed, and decided he really only wanted to brush his teeth. He ducked into the guest bathroom to wash up, and by the time he came back into the living room, Joanna was already there.

"When did you get warp engines?" Jim teased.

"I work efficiently," she said, smiling a little.

"So I see."

The clock on the mantel chimed softly to mark midnight. Joanna looked over at it, and then quickly went over to throw her arms around Jim. "Merry Christmas, Jim."

"You, too," Jim said, enjoying the hug for a moment before ruffling her hair. The expression she gave him, slightly irritated but mostly fond, made it worth the effort. "Are you okay, kiddo? I know today was pretty scary there for a bit."

She nodded. "Now I am."

"Okay." Figuring it wasn't worth the effort to press, Jim fetched the extra blankets and pillows, and tossed one toward her. She caught it easily, but wasn't moving just yet. Jim waited for her to say something, and finally decided to speak anyway. "What is it, Joanna?"

"Do you think there might be a place where I can go skating again?" she asked after moment, glancing away. "I mean, somewhere inside. So, you know, there's no water underneath."

Jim smiled. "Yeah, there is. We could go later this week, how about that?"

"Okay." The tension in her shoulders eased. "Because, you know, my dad wants to go skating, too, but he's a little nervous about the water."

That made him smile even more. "He told you that?"

She shrugged with one shoulder. "That was scary, Jim."

"I know it was." Jim placed his own pillow next to Bones.

"But you helped him out," she said, "just like you promised."

"Of course I did," Jim said. "And you did a pretty good job yourself, you know."

A pleased expression crossed her face. "You think?"

"Everyone panics the first moment," he told her. "I know I do, lots of times. What makes the difference in the end is how you react afterwards, and you did really well for your first time, kiddo."

Her tired smile turned into a yawn, which prompted Jim into making sure they had room to sleep. Joanna waited patiently as Jim coaxed a mostly-sleeping Bones, grunts and all, to roll into the middle of the cot. He settled on his back, his face slack and peaceful as he slept. Jim watched him for a moment, letting himself feel the relief again that Bones was okay, and then moved to turn off the Christmas tree lights.

"Can we leave them on?" Joanna asked as she curled against Bones' side.

"Santa won't be able to sneak in with the lights on," Jim told her, which is what Winona had always told him and Sam over the years. The humour of the moment didn't escape him.

Joanna just snorted. "I'm ten, not a baby. I know there isn't a Santa Claus."

"What?" Jim feigned wide-open eyes and let his mouth fall open in shock. "What do you mean?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning," she said. "Night, Jim."

"Sweet dreams," Jim told her.

He finished turning off the overhead lights, and crawled into the bed by the multi-coloured lights of the Christmas tree. As he settled next to Bones, and listened to the combined breaths beside him, along with the sound of the house settling again around them, he found himself smiling as he closed his eyes.

"'But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,' Jim murmured to himself, "'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.'"

*fin*


End file.
